Airofit PRO Respiratory Trainer Review: App Guided Breathing Muscle Training for Athletes and Respiratory Health

The Airofit PRO combines adjustable respiratory resistance with real time Bluetooth biofeedback to strengthen the muscles that power every breath you take.

Presented By Our Partners

The diaphragm is the most important muscle most people never train. It contracts approximately 20,000 times per day, powering every breath from the first cry of life to the last exhalation. Yet unlike the biceps, the quadriceps, or the core muscles that fill exercise programs, the primary respiratory muscles receive almost no targeted training in conventional fitness protocols. This oversight has consequences. A 2013 meta analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by HajGhanbari et al. examined 21 randomized controlled trials involving 531 participants and found that inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improved exercise performance by a clinically meaningful margin across both healthy athletes and patients with respiratory disease. The pooled effect showed significant improvements in maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), time to exhaustion, and perceived breathlessness during exercise. For athletes, stronger respiratory muscles meant less ventilatory fatigue during competition. For patients with COPD or asthma, it meant measurable improvement in daily functional capacity.

A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association by Craighead et al. extended these findings into cardiovascular territory: six weeks of high resistance inspiratory muscle strength training reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 9 mmHg in adults over 50, an effect comparable to first line antihypertensive medication. The mechanism involved improved vascular endothelial function and reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, suggesting that respiratory muscle training has systemic cardiovascular effects beyond the lungs.

The Airofit PRO was designed to make this evidence based training accessible, measurable, and engaging through app guided protocols with real time biofeedback.

What Is the Airofit PRO?

The Airofit PRO is a Bluetooth connected respiratory muscle trainer manufactured by Airofit, a Danish company founded in 2016 by Christian Trier Borg, a former competitive sailor who experienced the performance limitations of respiratory fatigue firsthand. The device is a handheld mouthpiece with independently adjustable resistance on both inhalation and exhalation. A pressure sensor inside the device measures inspiratory and expiratory force, flow rate, and volume in real time, transmitting data via Bluetooth to the Airofit app.

The app provides structured training programs, live biofeedback during breathing exercises, progress tracking for MIP (maximal inspiratory pressure) and MEP (maximal expiratory pressure), and goal based protocols tailored to different user populations: endurance athletes, strength athletes, singers, wind musicians, and patients with respiratory conditions. Training sessions typically last 5 to 10 minutes, performed once or twice daily.

The Airofit PRO retails at $199 for the device. The app subscription costs $7.99 per month, which unlocks the full library of training programs, advanced analytics, and personalized coaching. Without the subscription, the device provides basic resistance training but loses the guided programming and detailed analytics that differentiate it from simpler respiratory trainers.

The Science Behind Respiratory Muscle Training

Respiratory muscles respond to progressive resistance training the same way skeletal muscles do: they adapt by increasing fiber cross sectional area, improving contractile efficiency, and delaying fatigue onset. The diaphragm, intercostals, and accessory breathing muscles can be strengthened through inspiratory muscle training (breathing in against resistance) and expiratory muscle training (breathing out against resistance).

The HajGhanbari et al. 2013 meta analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine provides the strongest evidence base. Across 21 RCTs, inspiratory muscle training significantly improved MIP (a measure of respiratory muscle strength), time to exhaustion during exercise, and perceived breathlessness. The effects were most pronounced in participants with lower baseline respiratory muscle strength, but even trained athletes showed meaningful improvements in ventilatory endurance.

The blood pressure reduction finding by Craighead et al. (2018) added a cardiovascular dimension to respiratory training that the field had not previously established. The 9 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure from six weeks of high resistance IMT represents a clinically significant cardiovascular benefit. A 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure is associated with a 20 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events, according to a 2016 Lancet meta analysis by Ettehad et al. This makes respiratory muscle training one of the few non pharmacological interventions with demonstrated antihypertensive effect of this magnitude.

For longevity, the connections are direct. Within Healthcare Discovery‘s Five Pillars, respiratory muscle training sits at the intersection of the Breathwork and Movement pillars. Stronger respiratory muscles support more efficient ventilation during exercise, enabling higher training intensities and greater cardiorespiratory fitness development. Better ventilatory efficiency means less perceived effort at any given workload, which supports training consistency, the variable that determines whether exercise contributes to longevity over decades. The cardiovascular benefit through blood pressure reduction addresses the first of The Four Villains directly.

What the Airofit PRO Does Well

The Airofit PRO’s real time biofeedback is its defining advantage over passive resistance trainers. The pressure sensor measures inspiratory and expiratory force continuously during each breath, displaying the data as a visual target on the app screen. Users aim to match a prescribed breathing pattern, and the app provides immediate feedback on whether they are generating sufficient force, maintaining consistent flow, and completing each breath phase fully. This gamified biofeedback transforms respiratory training from a monotonous chore into an engaging, skill based practice.

The independent adjustment of inspiratory and expiratory resistance allows targeted training of specific muscle groups. Users with strong inspiratory muscles but weak expiratory muscles (common in singers and wind instrumentalists) can set high expiratory resistance and lower inspiratory resistance. Athletes focused on ventilatory endurance can train both phases equally. This customization is not possible with simpler devices that offer only inspiratory resistance.

The app’s structured programs provide progressive overload, the fundamental principle of effective strength training, applied to respiratory muscles. The system tracks MIP and MEP over time, automatically adjusts training intensity as strength improves, and provides periodized programs that vary training stimuli to prevent plateau. This is a significant advancement over manual resistance trainers where the user must self manage progression.

Featured Partner

Invest in the Infrastructure Behind Modern Medicine

As healthcare expands beyond hospital walls, the buildings and campuses supporting that shift are generating compelling returns for investors who move early. The Healthcare Real Estate Fund offers qualified investors direct access to a curated portfolio of medical office, outpatient, and specialty care facilities.

Learn More →

Session brevity is a practical advantage. At 5 to 10 minutes per session, respiratory training integrates easily into any schedule. The device is portable, requires no setup beyond opening the app, and can be used while seated at a desk, on a commute, or before training.

Pricing, Access, and Practical Realities

The Airofit PRO costs $199 for the device. The app subscription is $7.99 per month or approximately $95.88 per year. First year total cost is approximately $295. Subsequent years cost $95.88 for the subscription. Over three years, total investment reaches approximately $487, making it mid range among respiratory training solutions.

The device is classified as a general wellness product and is not FDA cleared for the treatment of any medical condition. While respiratory muscle training has clinical evidence for improving outcomes in COPD and asthma, the Airofit PRO itself has not undergone FDA review. Patients with respiratory conditions should consult their physician before beginning any respiratory training program.

HSA and FSA eligibility is not widely established for the Airofit PRO. Some plans may cover respiratory training devices with a physician’s letter of medical necessity, but this is not standard.

The subscription model creates an ongoing cost commitment. Without the subscription, the device still functions as a resistance trainer but loses the biofeedback, guided programs, progress tracking, and personalized coaching that constitute its primary value proposition over simpler devices.

Who the Airofit PRO Is Best For

The Airofit PRO is best suited for endurance athletes who want to reduce ventilatory limitation during high intensity performance. Runners, cyclists, swimmers, and rowers who experience breathlessness as a limiting factor before muscular fatigue will benefit most from respiratory muscle training. The 2013 meta analysis demonstrated that IMT improved time to exhaustion, which translates directly to competitive performance.

Singers, wind instrumentalists, and voice professionals who depend on respiratory power and control for their craft have a strong evidence based case for this type of training. The independent inspiratory and expiratory resistance adjustment is particularly relevant for these users.

Adults over 50 interested in cardiovascular health optimization may find the blood pressure reduction documented by Craighead et al. compelling, particularly as a non pharmacological complement to lifestyle modification.

Those who may want to look elsewhere include budget conscious users (the PowerBreathe Plus at $49.99 to $299 and The Breather at $39.99 to $59.99 provide respiratory resistance training without the subscription cost). Users who want an FDA cleared device should consider The Breather, which holds FDA clearance as a respiratory muscle trainer. People who prefer simple, unplugged training tools may find the app dependency unnecessary.

How the Airofit PRO Compares

Against the PowerBreathe Plus ($49.99 to $299), the Airofit PRO adds Bluetooth biofeedback, app guided programs, MIP/MEP tracking, and independent inspiratory and expiratory resistance adjustment. The PowerBreathe is a proven inspiratory muscle trainer with decades of clinical validation but lacks biofeedback and digital tracking. For users who want data driven training with progressive programming, the Airofit is superior. For users who want simple, proven inspiratory resistance training without a subscription, PowerBreathe is the pragmatic choice.

Against The Breather ($39.99 to $59.99), the Airofit PRO adds Bluetooth connectivity, app guided programs, and quantitative progress tracking. The Breather is FDA cleared (a meaningful clinical distinction), provides both inspiratory and expiratory training, and costs a fraction of the Airofit system. For clinical use and patients who need the most affordable option, The Breather is the best value. For athletes and quantification oriented users, the Airofit’s data driven approach adds meaningful training guidance.

Against general breathing apps (Breathwrk, Othership) that provide guided breathing exercises without resistance, the Airofit PRO adds the progressive resistance component that drives muscular adaptation. Breathing pattern training and respiratory muscle training are complementary: the apps improve breathing technique and stress regulation, while the Airofit strengthens the muscles that execute those patterns.

Limitations and Open Questions

The subscription model adds ongoing cost that compounds over time. Users who discontinue the subscription retain a functional resistance trainer but lose the biofeedback, guided programs, and progress tracking that justify the Airofit PRO’s premium over simpler devices.

The Airofit PRO is not FDA cleared, which limits its positioning for clinical applications. Patients with COPD, asthma, or other respiratory conditions should use the device under physician guidance, and healthcare providers may prefer to recommend FDA cleared alternatives like The Breather for clinical respiratory rehabilitation.

Long term adherence to respiratory training is understudied. Most clinical trials on respiratory muscle training last 4 to 12 weeks. Whether the benefits persist with sustained training over years, and whether they diminish if training is discontinued, remains an open question. The gamified biofeedback may improve adherence compared to passive trainers, but this has not been demonstrated in comparative trials.

The device requires mouthpiece only breathing during training, which some users find initially uncomfortable or claustrophobic. A brief adaptation period of several sessions is typical before the experience becomes natural.

What This Means for Your Health

The respiratory muscles are the unsung foundation of every other pillar in HealthcareDiscovery.ai’s Five Pillars framework. Without adequate respiratory capacity, exercise intensity is limited (Movement), sleep quality suffers from inefficient breathing (Sleep), stress regulation through breathing techniques is compromised (Breathwork), and the cardiovascular system receives less oxygenated blood for delivery to every organ (connecting to all Four Villains). Training the respiratory muscles is, in a sense, training the engine that powers everything else.

The Craighead et al. finding on blood pressure reduction elevates respiratory muscle training from a niche athletic practice to a cardiovascular health intervention. A 9 mmHg systolic blood pressure reduction from 6 weeks of 5 minute daily sessions represents one of the most efficient interventions per unit of time in the entire exercise science literature. For adults over 50, this alone may justify the investment.

The Airofit PRO makes respiratory muscle training measurable and progressive. The biofeedback ensures that each session produces adequate training stimulus, the app tracks adaptation over time, and the structured programs apply the principles of progressive overload that drive muscular strength gains. It is the difference between lifting weights with a coach and a program versus randomly picking up dumbbells: both involve resistance, but only one is optimized for results.

Five to ten minutes per day. Stronger respiratory muscles. Better exercise performance. Lower blood pressure. Improved breathing efficiency. The time investment is minimal. The evidence is meaningful. The Airofit PRO provides the tools to make this practice consistent and quantifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Free Daily Briefing

The Latest Longevity Science.
Delivered Every Morning.

Join researchers, physicians, and health professionals getting daily breakthroughs in AI-driven medicine, epigenetics, and longevity research.

Support the research that powers this editorial

Subscribe Free

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We respect your inbox.